Hearts on Fire

We live in a safe, microscopic bubble here in the U.S.And, for that reason, these past few months have been particularly challenging for us as citizens and as human beings because our bubble has burst. It's been a long time expanding with stretched seams but it burst and many of us are trying to deal with the resultBoth natural and manmade disasters brought many of us to our knees and created cause to rethink our way of life, our beliefs and personal vulnerabilities. Hurricane Sandy wiped out whole towns and communities - businesses, boardwalks and a multitude of homes - from the Caribbean to the North East U.S.An unpredictable Presidential election surprised many and brought tears of hope and perseverance to many in a country in flux and confused about the future. Conversely, those opposed still hold onto the bubble, in denial of its demise.Regardless of our political beliefs, we've found ourselves unwilling witnesses to mall shootings, house burnings and the murder of small, innocent children and their caretakers for unimaginable and unknown reasons.Meanwhile, reeling in the horror of a burst bubble, we'd be remiss not to notice that in other areas around the globe just as much devastation has taken place in the same timeframe.Floods, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, super-typhoons, dying children due to lack of food and medicine, as well as, harsh uprisings resulting in murderous results in the Middle East - brother pitted against brother in the name of freedom gone wild remind us of why we're glad to live here.The end result?Our hearts are on fire and blown wide open.This result is something none of use could have predicted earlier in the year and yet is timely in its opening. And, we have a choice to keep it open and embrace the evolution of an open heart, or slam it shut and crawl back into our illusion.In my world I've witnessed and participated in sharing true feelings, assisting in finding the owners of lost dogs and rediscovering long lost friends. I've noticed people working together cooperatively to help those who've lost their dignity; A woman from New York shown on the news crying after finding a lone, untainted piece of memory from her destroyed home receives floods of letters, emails and gifts from strangers all over the country.This Christmas season was turned on its head. In turn, people chose not to donate their hard earned cash to large corporations and big box businesses for gift-giving and turned to their neighbor's small business down the street instead. Grass roots charitable organizations reel with record breaking donations and people are "paying it forward" in the names of lost loved ones at fast food drive-thru's, restaurants and anonymous pay-offs of stranger's Holiday lay-a-ways.It seems in the face of devastating and incredible adversity that humans will rise to the epitome of their inherent human kindness and love demonstrating with humbleness, who we are and what we are meant to be in this global experience.Imagine a world where we rely on each other more and rely less on those that govern us. Imagine a world where we embrace those that aren't like us knowing that they uphold the same basic human respect that we do.Maybe our bubble needed to burst in order for us to realize that we are as vulnerable as those that crave food, good health and a safe and reasonable life!My wish this Season and always is that our heart chakras stay open and our eyes stay wide open - in All-Ways - and that we realize the path we've been on, while progressive in many ways, became side-tracked away from the fellowship of one another - and that regardless of belief, age and appearance it will continue to merge back into the wholeness of humanity.It DOES take a village to raise a child, and all of us are children of the Universe. If we've learned nothing else we've learned that the reward is in taking good care of one another, period. And, that anything less is a sordid distraction.You and I are not alone. Let's remember that.